Head for the hills

Sanctuary of La Verna

Travelling far from the bustle of city life, Rachael Martin heads off the beaten track to find peace and quiet in Tuscany’s Casentino National Park Photos of Casentino by Rachael Martin unless otherwise stated   Once more, TripAdvisor figures confirm that Tuscany is at the forefront of Italian tourism and in particular Florence, which comes […]

In search of la bella figura

The Masseria San Domenico, Puglia

Beverley Byrne goes to the Masseria San Domenico on the Adriatic coast of Puglia in her quest for wellbeing   Science confirms that oil and water do not mix. Yet, at the Masseria San Domenico in Puglia, their combined benefits are said to hold the secret of eternal youth. This family-owned boutique hotel and spa […]

Chestnuts roasting…

Chestnuts Italy

Julie Friend attends a special food festival in the province of Viterbo, and discovers that here the chestnut is not just for Christmas Photos by Getty unless otherwise stated   Clinging to the side of Mount Cimino, in the province of Viterbo, is the hilltop town of Vallerano. Perched 400 metres above sea level, the […]

Making Tracks, Part 3: to Lake Como

Train

Two decades ago Rachael Martin arrived in Italy, exploring the country by rail and dreaming of rooms with a view. Twenty years, one Italian husband and two kids later, she still has the memories of those first voyages of discovery… Photos by Rachael Martin I start off in Lecco, at the southern tip of Lake […]

Salento travel guide

Street market, Lecce, Puglia

Sara Scarpa explores a few of Salento’s top things to see and do, plus great places to eat and accommodation to suit all budgets… Photos by Iain Reid What to see and do Basilica di Santa Croce, Lecce The Basilica di Santa Croce is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Salento. The […]

Making Tracks, Part 2: to Rome

Train

Twenty years ago Rachael Martin arrived in Italy, exploring the country by rail and dreaming of rooms with a view. Twenty years, one Italian husband and two kids later, she still has the memories of those first voyages of discovery… Photos by Rachael Martin   “What can I get you?” the woman on the other […]

Fizz in Franciacorta

Franciacorta vineyards Italy

Sarah Rodrigues has a sparkling time on the southern shores of Lake Iseo, where they produce champagne-method wines to rival the best… Images by Sarah Rodrigues unless otherwise stated   “Why wasn’t I born the daughter of an Italian winemaker?” This green-tinged thought ripples through my mind as I stand in the cavernous space below […]

Past Italia: The Railways of Italy

Italian steam train

The development of a national rail network in Italy coincided with the unification of the country The first railway line in Italy ran (and indeed still does) between Naples and Portici in what was then the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. That opened in 1839 and the development of a pan-Italian rail network, which was […]

Milan travel guide

Join Amanda Robinson to discover some Milan’s very best sights and attractions, plus top places to eat and great accommodation to suit all budgets… Photos by Amanda Robinson unless otherwise stated What to see and do San Bernardino alle Ossa The walls of this 13th-century ossuary chapel are almost entirely covered with skulls and bones. […]

Matera travel guide

Matera landscape Basilicata

Sara Scarpa explores some of the best things to see and do – plus top places to eat and stay – in the atmospheric southern city of Matera in Basilicata Photos by Iain Reid What to see and do Discover Matera Underground at Ipogeo Materasum Book a guided tour at Ipogeo Materasum, an underground environment […]